In the construction industry, various types of fixture materials or building covering materials include, but are not limited to, manufactured stone products and types of sheathing including gypsum, drywall, plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), cement board, foam board, metal, sheet molding compound, bulk molding compound sheeting and the like.
Both interior sheathing and exterior sheathing materials are traditionally attached to a framing structure using screws and nails that penetrate through the sheathing and into the framing structure. Framing structures include, but are not limited to, wood, metal or concrete structures. In addition to using screws and nails it is common to use a rubber mastic or bonding adhesive to initially attach the sheathing to the framing structure as the sheathing is being installed. Nails and screws are still required, however, because the adhesives or mastics alone cannot hold the sheathing in place during the curing or drying process. It would be advantageous if a construction configuration could be improved to have a high “Green Strength” in order to ensure that the sheathing does not move during the cure process.
In certain construction industries, various types of construction materials are at least partially assembled prior to being brought to the construction site. For example, in factory built or manufactured homes, the construction configuration is frequently assembled prior to being installed in the home. An adhesive is typically applied to the face of the studs and interior drywall is laid on top of the studs. Nails are then used to attach the drywall to the studs while the glue dries. After the plumbing, electrical and insulation installations are complete the outside sheathing is applied.
In another example, in the manufacturing of roof materials, the framing structure is assembled on top of a ceiling gypsum board. When the ceiling framing structure is complete the joists are adhered to the ceiling gypsum board with a polyurethane spray foam applied to the comer of the gypsum board and the joist. Nails or screws are not commonly used.
In another example, manufactured stone products are attached to a framing structure having multiple layers of materials. Typically, an OSB or plywood sheathing is attached to a wall. Then, a waterproof barrier is applied over the plywood. An expanded metal lathe is nailed onto the sheathing to give flexural stability. A coat of quickset mortar is applied to the expanded metal lathe and cured for 24 to 48 hours. After sufficient time has passed to insure curing of the quickset mortar, the manufactured stone is then attached to the wall with additional mortar.
It would also be advantageous if the use of the metal lathe and the mortar could be eliminated so that the installation of such product could be accomplished in one day. Without the use of the metal lathe and mortar, there is no need to wait for the first mortar coat to dry before returning to finish the installation.
It would also be advantageous if a construction configuration could be improved to make the installation of various construction materials easier to use while simultaneously providing increased immediate adhesive strength and long-term bonding strength to the construction configuration.
It would also be advantageous to provide a novel and improved construction configuration which, while entirely eliminating the need for fasteners such as nails and screws, enables a more secure construction configuration to be manufactured and installed.
The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.